NMA cautions public against patronising quack doctors

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Thursday cautioned the general public to be wary of quack doctors in the country.

The President of NMA, Dr Francis Faduyile, gave the advice while speaking with our reporter in Abuja.

He urged people to be mindful of the kind of doctors they patronised while seeking medical treatment, adding that many quacks had infiltrated the profession.

He said that patients must be careful with those coming with plan to take them abroad with the aim to have best medical care.

According to him, those doctors usually come without requisite registration by the appropriate authority in Nigeria.

He noted that many of those doctors were unqualified and were not allowed to practice in the countries they came from but would come around to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians.

The President of the association stated that medical quackery had brought untold hardships to many Nigerians, in terms of complications, sequel to the unhealthy care.

Faduyile said that this was part of observations in the just concluded National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting of the association held in Osogbo, Osun recently.

He said that the NEC had also reaffirmed the use of doctors’ stamps as anti-quackery measures and that the public should insist on doctor’s stamp on their medical reports.

Faduyile noted that Nigeria had made tremendous progress in the implementation of the Local Government Area-focused Primary Health Care infrastructure.

He, however, identified fragmentation with respect to provision of services, management of staff, funds and other resources as the most significant challenge facing primary health care in the country.

The NMA boss said that there was need for government at all levels to ensure that the various funds voted for primary healthcare in the country were judiciously managed.

He said this became, especially from the approved and appropriated consolidated revenue fund in the National Health Act.

Faduyile said that during the recent NEC meeting, the association commended Federal and some State Governments for their efforts and determination in implementing the proposed new minimum wage commencing from September 2018.

According to him, the NEC has directed the National Officers’ Committee of the association to closely monitor the implementation of the minimum wage salary package for all inclusiveness in application.